"Commentary from P.M. Carpenter"

March 10, 2017

Krauthammer's denial; Kristof's rebuttal

Charles Krauthammer would just as soon forgetaboutit. "Suspicion … is far short of assertion — and a fairly thin basis for a major investigation [into Trump's Russia ties], let alone for a special prosecutor. To prosecute what exactly?"

Wrong question. More accurately, what to investigate? — which transcends mere "suspicion." In answering, Nicholas Kristof offers a useful guide to recent history and a 10-point synopsis:

1. President Trump and his aides have repeatedly and falsely denied ties to Russia…. [W]e now know that there were contacts by at least a half-dozen people in the Trump circle with senior Russian officials.

2. There’s no obvious reason for all these contacts….

3. There were unexplained communications between a Trump Organization computer server and Russia’s Alfa Bank, which has ties to President Vladimir Putin. These included 2,700 "look-up" messages to initiate communications….

4. "Repeated" and "constant" contacts between Trump officials and Russian intelligence … are underscored by intercepts of communications involving Russian officials, and by the British and Dutch governments monitoring meetings in Europe between Russians and members of the Trump team.

5. A well-regarded Russia expert formerly with MI6, Christopher Steele, produced a now-famous dossier alleging that Russia made compromising videos of Trump in 2013, and that members of the Trump team colluded with the Kremlin to interfere with the U.S. election….

6. Trump has expressed a bewilderingly benign view of Russia and appointed officials also friendly to Moscow. He did not make an issue of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during the campaign.

7. A Trump associate, Roger Stone, appeared to have had advance knowledge of Russia’s disclosures through WikiLeaks of Hillary Clinton campaign emails….

8. Sessions seems a red herring, in that he wasn’t a secret conduit to the Kremlin. The more interesting dot is Manafort, whom investigators have focused on because of his longstanding ties to Russia.

9. "We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia," Donald Trump Jr. was quoted as saying in 2008. Russia may have gained leverage over Trump through loans to his organization or other business dealings. The way to ease these suspicions would be to examine Trump’s tax returns….

10. The House and Senate Intelligence Committees mostly operate behind closed doors, while we yearn for transparency. What is desperately needed is an independent inquiry modeled on the 9/11 Commission.

Comments

Krauthammer's denial; Kristof's rebuttal

Charles Krauthammer would just as soon forgetaboutit. "Suspicion … is far short of assertion — and a fairly thin basis for a major investigation [into Trump's Russia ties], let alone for a special prosecutor. To prosecute what exactly?"

Wrong question. More accurately, what to investigate? — which transcends mere "suspicion." In answering, Nicholas Kristof offers a useful guide to recent history and a 10-point synopsis:

1. President Trump and his aides have repeatedly and falsely denied ties to Russia…. [W]e now know that there were contacts by at least a half-dozen people in the Trump circle with senior Russian officials.

2. There’s no obvious reason for all these contacts….

3. There were unexplained communications between a Trump Organization computer server and Russia’s Alfa Bank, which has ties to President Vladimir Putin. These included 2,700 "look-up" messages to initiate communications….

4. "Repeated" and "constant" contacts between Trump officials and Russian intelligence … are underscored by intercepts of communications involving Russian officials, and by the British and Dutch governments monitoring meetings in Europe between Russians and members of the Trump team.

5. A well-regarded Russia expert formerly with MI6, Christopher Steele, produced a now-famous dossier alleging that Russia made compromising videos of Trump in 2013, and that members of the Trump team colluded with the Kremlin to interfere with the U.S. election….

6. Trump has expressed a bewilderingly benign view of Russia and appointed officials also friendly to Moscow. He did not make an issue of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during the campaign.

7. A Trump associate, Roger Stone, appeared to have had advance knowledge of Russia’s disclosures through WikiLeaks of Hillary Clinton campaign emails….

8. Sessions seems a red herring, in that he wasn’t a secret conduit to the Kremlin. The more interesting dot is Manafort, whom investigators have focused on because of his longstanding ties to Russia.

9. "We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia," Donald Trump Jr. was quoted as saying in 2008. Russia may have gained leverage over Trump through loans to his organization or other business dealings. The way to ease these suspicions would be to examine Trump’s tax returns….

10. The House and Senate Intelligence Committees mostly operate behind closed doors, while we yearn for transparency. What is desperately needed is an independent inquiry modeled on the 9/11 Commission.